The League of Blades

by Insert New Name Here

Instead of a death game bringing our beloved characters together, it was an organization called the League of Blades, which hosts the World Freestyle Weapon Tournament. When Kazuto becomes the Japanese Representative, he will have to fight other representatives from all over the world, befriending some... and making enemies out of others. AU, full summary inside.

3. Chapter 3: The African Bracket

The League of Blades

Chapter Three: The African Bracket

---

As we walked into the plane, Xerxes said, "Well, I've got a seat in economy waiting for me, so I'd better be going."

"But can't you sit with us? You were a competitor, weren't you?" I asked.

"The key word is were. I lost, therefore I have to deal with a bad seat."

"You don't sound very sad," Asuna said.

She sounds… almost happy.

"That sucks, I had some questions for you. Oh well, I can ask you when we get off the plane. Until then, Xerxes." And with that, Xerxes and I parted ways, Asuna following behind me.

The Asian Bracket is over, but that's only the beginning. Ready or not, Africa, here I come!

---

"So, what's your girlfriend like, Kazuto?"

I did a spit take, shocked that Asuna would ask a random question like that out of the blue. What does she mean?

"I don't have a girlfriend," I said a little too sternly.

"Then what about that Sachi chick?"

I coughed violently. When I recovered…

"She's not my girlfriend."

"That so?" she asked, giving me one of those knowing smirks.

"*Sigh*, lay off, will you? I mean, she's my best friend! That's all."

"Whatever."

I looked out the plane's window and into the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, pondering what the next bracket had in store for me.

Klein was the toughest opponent I've ever fought, but if he lost at the African Bracket, then… I've got some serious trouble on my hands.

"Are you okay? You look worried," Asuna queried.

Turning to look into her chestnut eyes, I responded, "Just thinking about what's going to happen at the African Bracket. Klein was so strong… if he lost at the African Bracket, then how will I fare? It's weird, but… I'm kind of scared.

"And not scared just of that, either. What if… what if those Shifters that Xerxes was talking about follow me all the way to our destination? After a match, if I end up alone in a hospital with an injury too painful to move, then… they'll kill me. I just know it."

"Then… if you wind up in the hospital again, I swear that I'll stay by your side the whole time."

Asuna…

"Thank you, Asuna… I'll repay your kindness somehow," I promised her.

"Idiot, I haven't done anything yet!"

"But you gave me your word. That's good enough for me," I said with sincerity.

"You're a moron, you know that?"

At this, we shared a good laugh.

"Which reminds me for whatever reason, why are you coming to Egypt too?" I asked Asuna curiously, though I already had a pretty good idea. The reason gave me a headache.

"Because my dad gave me the plane and arena tickets to go to all of the brackets," Asuna said bluntly.

Damn it!

"Yet he neglected to make you reservations at decent hotels, huh?"

"Ehehe… he's kinda stingy… he figured that I'd find someone else to take care of that. Like a certain Japanese Representative," she explained, finishing off my hopes with a wink.

Damn it again!

"No."

"Oh, come on, didn't you want to stick together?" Asuna whined.

"That was until the Asian Bracket was over, and guess what? It is," I grated.

"Why don't you want me around?"

"One minute we're best friends, then the next you're mad at me for some reason."

"I'm sorry… I've made you mad. How can I make up for it?"

I looked at her with wide eyes, not expecting to hear that.

"I… I'm sorry too. You have no place to stay, and here I am trying to force you to sleep on the streets in five different continents. That's bad of me," I said sadly.

How the heck can I say no to that tone? That girl is a master at the art of the guilt trip!

"No, it's okay. But does that mean that I can…"

"Yeah, you can stay with me for the remainder of the tournament, assuming that I win," I sighed.

"Yes! Thank you, Kazuto!" Asuna said, a little too enthusiastic.

As I thought.

I yawned, feeling tired from the flight. "I'm going to sleep for a while, okay? Wake me up when we get there so we can find the hotel."

"All right. Sweet dreams, Kazuto."

Almost immediately after she said that, the drowsiness overcame me… and I fell into a deep sleep.

---

The same man that haunted my dreams in China stood before me, that strange sword in his hands. "You may have escaped me, but very soon you will meet my brothers, and they will take on the task of killing you! Ahaha… AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The dream Shifted.

I was witnessing the apocalypse. I could easily tell from the large stones coming off of the ground and flying into the sky. It was as if the world would collapse at any moment.

"KAZUTO!" two girls shouted in unison.

I turned around, finding Asuna and Sachi being sucked into a wormhole.

"NO! ASUNA! SACHI!"

The wormhole disappeared, leaving me to witness two people fighting, the ground breaking up even faster around them.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that I was one of the two people fighting… and that I was on the losing side.

"I'm going to kill you for the good of the world!" the man I was fighting bellowed.

Then… he hit one of my swords out of my hand. He proceeded to raise his sword high above his head, his sword taking on a red hue as it began to slash through the air.

"NO!"

A girl pushed me out of the way, attempting to take the blow for herself.

Just before I could discern who the girl was…

---

"Wait!" I shouted to the air, waking up in a cold sweat.

"Kazuto? Are you okay?" Asuna asked me, a frantic look on her face.

Whew… it was just a dream. Wait… if that dream hasn't happened, then maybe the one about Sachi being kidnapped hasn't happened yet either! I hope so…

I looked out the window to find us at the airport. "We're here. C'mon Asuna, let's go."

As we got off the plane, we saw Xerxes waiting for us.

He wore different clothes than he did at the last tournament, now wearing a long black trench coat, black pants, and black shoes, but I didn't think much of it.

Walking up to him, I asked, "Xerxes, why exactly did you come to Egypt?"

"I have no need to reveal my intentions to you," Xerxes replied curtly.

As he began to walk away, I said, "Wait! I just have one more question!"

He paused mid-step. "What is it?"

"Not here," I said after a moment, "There's ears everywhere that don't need to hear it."

"All right."

Once we were in a dark alleyway, I noticed that Asuna wasn't behind me. Thinking nothing of it, I turned to him and said, "What are these… Shifters you were talking about at the hospital?"

"Need you even ask?"

Xerxes' face began to distort, excess tissue fading and wrinkles forming. His mouth began to grow fangs, and his fingernails elongated, forming deadly claws. More deadly claw-like nails erupted from his feet, completely destroying the tips of his shoes. Spikes grew out of his shoulders, knees and elbows, ripping holes in his trench coat.

Then, a handle of sorts fell from his sleeve, causing me to break into a cold sweat, eyes widening.

Oh shit! He's one of them!

He squeezed on the handle, making a glowing blade come out, about as long as one of my swords.

"Get out of here, Kazuto! Run!" a familiar voice yelled from behind me.

I turned around to find Xerxes, wielding a new shield… yet no sword.

"X-Xerxes?!"

So that guy was a fake?!

"Run, Kazuto! I'll hold him off while you find Asuna!"

"What? Why?" I asked, confused.

"She's in trouble too!"

"What?!"

"JUST GO!"

"G-got it!"

---

(Xerxes)

"Bring it on, fake hero!" the hideous beast taunted.

"If I'm the fake hero, then what does that make you, impostor?!" I taunted back.

"Shut the hell up and taste my sword!"

Perfect!

Taking the taunt, the beast jumped forward, swinging its sword wildly.

I blocked every strike sent my way with my shield… one of two shields on this earth that can stand up to that kind of sword.

"Why isn't your shield breaking?!" the monstrosity before me shrieked, its attacks getting more and more sloppy.

"That's right, keep roaring!" I jeered.

---

(Kazuto)

"Come on…" I mumbled as I ran through the streets.

Then… I saw them. The Shifters were everywhere, posing as normal civilians. But I could see a few differences.

They all wore the same trench coat that the Xerxes impostor wore, and their nails were a little… sharper than the average human's.

I have to find Asuna! Then we'll find someplace to hide!

I kept running, not stopping until I reached the edge of the city. "Damn it! I've got to find her!"

I turned around, finding a lone Shifter facing me, already transforming.

Damn! Looks like I'll have to fight it!

"I must kill you before you become a nuisance!" it screeched, activating its glowing sword and charging toward me. I drew my swords, but…

As soon as it clashed with mine, my left sword was cleaved in two. I just barely ducked under the still-slashing blade, a few strands of hair getting cut off.

"AHAHAHAHA!" the beast cackled menacingly. It took another swing at my other sword, slicing that one in two as well.

Shit!

It started to swing its sword down, and just before it hit me… a giant man with dark skin and a muscular build appeared out of nowhere and deflected it with his axe, sending the Shifter flying back.

"Damn Remotian bastards… hey, you okay?" the man asked me.

"Y-yeah…" I stuttered. Then, I noticed the beast get up and charge again. "He's coming back!"

"Right! You stay back while I take care of this guy!" the dark-skinned giant shouted as he ran towards the monstrous fiend.

I could only watch as this man fought with incredible speed and skill, completely overwhelming the monster before him. The man cut off the Shifter's shoulder spike, sending it into the air, where it came back down and hit the beast in the neck. It fell limply to the ground. I stared in shock.

What in the hell?!

"Did you plan for that spike to hit him there?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. I'm guessing you're the Asian Rep, seeing as you're the only Asian I've come across since the last world tournament. My name is Egil, what's yours?"

Finally, someone who doesn't know the name Yami No Keshin…

"Kazuto. Kazuto Kirigaya."

"So you are the Asian Rep! Well, I'll take you to my café, you'll be safe there," Egil said.

"You own a café?"

"It's a family restaurant, but I run it. I'm sure you'll fit right in! You can stay there until it's time for the African Bracket," the man answered, laughing heartily afterwards.

Sure I'll fit right in, eh?

"Thanks… Egil."

When we were nearing his café, I remembered the reason I had been searching the city in the first place. "I've gotta find Asuna!"

"A chestnut haired girl with matching eyes? One with flawless features and a constant smile?" Egil asked.

"Yeah, exact— wait, what? How do you?!"

"I met her on my way to you," he answered calmly.

"Is she okay?" I asked, still on edge.

"She's fine, don't worry! Actually, when I found her, she was busy jabbing the crap out of a Remotian with a rapier," Egil reassured me.

What?!

"Which reminds me, what is a Remotian?"

"Most people who don't know their background refer to them as 'Shifters'," he replied.

"Wait, what are their weapons called?"

"Hell if I know. All I know is that only a handful of weapons in the world can stand up to them, my axe included," Egil said, lowering my hopes of ever being able to defeat even one Shifter.

"Don't worry, I know where to find a few. Follow me," he said, noticing my downtrodden expression.

My stomach decided to protest, letting out a loud growl.

"Looks like you're pretty hungry! Well, I've got just the remedy for that! C'mon in!" Egil said, laughing heartily.

It was then that I realized that we were right in front of a café named, "Mills Family Café."

Walking in, I noted that the café was very extravagant for a family-owned place. Three crystal chandeliers hung low in a line over the drinking area, providing a nice soft light that illuminated the area perfectly. In that area were all kinds of drinks that I had never even heard of before.

There were large tables set up in a circle around a giant platform, making it look like a mini-arena.

Pointing to the platform, I asked, "What's that?"

"Oh, that? That's our fighting arena. When I'm not running the drink bar, I go down and fight anyone who has the guts to challenge me."

"What do you mean? Wait, are you…?"

"The previous African Rep, at your service! I hear that Klein gave you a hard time! Well, don't expect me to be any easier!" Egil said, finishing with a hearty laugh.

"Wait, so…"

"Yup! I beat Klein in the first round!"

I was shocked. "And people still challenge you to fights here?"

"Competition is king! Well, there's that, and the fact that I said that if anyone beats me, I'll have them enter the tournament in my place," he answered, smirking.

I tried to decipher his thoughts. But… would the tournament rules allow that? I suddenly caught on, saying, "Wait, you're cheating them! The tournament rules probably don't even allow that!"

I stared into his eyes. He stared into mine. We continued on like this for minutes, until finally, he started cracking up.

"Not quite, Asian Rep! If I call sick, then I can send someone of my choosing in my place."

"I-I see… and why, might I ask, do you even consider trying this?"

He looked me in the eyes, suddenly getting dead serious. "Simple. I know that no one on this continent can beat me."

On this continent, he says…

"That reminds me, you're not from this continent, are you? Wanna have a friendly little match before the tournament starts in a week? Of course, we'll have to eat and get you some new swords first," Egil said, smiling broadly.

---

One quick meal later, and Egil was leading me through the endless sand dunes.

I really should've eaten more…

My body was burning up, and the occasional sip from my now almost-empty water bottle didn't help in the slightest.

I sighed. "Are we almost there?"

"You sound like a little kid! Anyway, yeah, we're just about to the first stop!"

"Hey, I'm sixteen! Wait… the first stop? But we've been out in the desert for more than an hour!"

"The more you talk, the more you prove my point!" Egil laughed. "But yeah, there are two places that we need to go, since you need two swords."

"Ah," I replied.

"And we're here!" Egil said, pointing to a pyramid that I should've been able to see sooner.

"So you're saying we'll find a usable sword inside that thing? Wouldn't it have aged to the point that it'd break if it hit something?" I queried doubtfully. "And not only that, but isn't going into one of the pyramids without permission illegal?"

"Well, nobody has to know that!" Egil grinned.

I sighed, looking towards the pyramid. "Whatever, let's just go so I don't die to one of those things."

"Remotians, Kazuto. Remotians," Egil corrected me.

Huh. He didn't call me Asian Rep.

"All right, whatever. How are we even gonna get in there?" I asked.

"Easy! Watch this!" Egil said.

Egil walked over to the pyramid, taking his axe off his back.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Just watch."

He walked over to the left. "Here it is!" he said, pointing to a symbol on the pyramid.

He raised the flat of his axe and put it next to the symbol. The axe started to glow, the light Shifting to form familiar markings on the flat of the blade.

The markings on his axe! They match the design of the symbol!

Suddenly, the area around the symbol started to glow… and disappeared, revealing a doorway.

What just happened…? I don't quite get it, but I have a bad feeling about this.

"Come on, let's go."

"R-right," I said with a start.

We walked inside.

---

(Asuna)

I had just finished killing the third Shifter that came my way, and I was on the verge of collapsing. My rapier looked a little worse for wear as well.

Unfortunately, another one came just as I sat down to rest.

"You're mine! AHAHAHAHA!"

Just as it swung its strange sword down at me, someone ran in and blocked it with his giant broadsword.

"Hey, pretty lady! Are you okay?" he said, looking back at me.

The man was at least six foot three, with a bulky build and a broadsword that made Kazuto's swords look like toothpicks. Strangely, he held his sword in one hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Who are you?"

"The Botswana Representative, at your service! My name is Rachida."

"Nice to meet you, Rachida. Now watch out! He's coming back!" I shouted.

Rachida ran at the Shifter, exchanging blows with impressive strength and quickly overwhelming it.

This guy has insane power… and Kazuto might have to fight him!

---

(Kazuto)

As we walked, I noticed the moisture in the air increase little by little until we were in a thick fog.

"How far until we get the first sword?" I asked, trying not to sound impatient.

"We're just about there. Keep going straight and you'll see a giant double door. The sword will be in there."

"You talk like you aren't going in there with me."

"I'm not."

What?! "Why not?!" I yelled, a little too loudly.

The walls shook.

"What just… happened…?"

"This area of the pyramid is unstable, so even that was able to make the foundations shake."

Not good…

"Wait, you still didn't answer my question. Why aren't you coming with me?" I said, a little less loudly.

"It's just my job to take you there. I'm not supposed to get in the way."

"What do you—?"

"Oh look, there's the entrance!" he said, pointing to a giant set of double doors that were wide open. "All right, you're on your own!"

He pushed me in.

The doors shut behind me.

I was trapped.

Fan-friggin-tastic.

I looked at my surroundings, finding a lake of bright silver liquid in front of me. It was surrounded by six pillars, and a pedestal stood in the center.

Upon closer inspection, I saw a sword lodged in the pedestal, looking brand new despite its ancient surroundings.

Who would've thought that all this would be in a pyramid…?

Suddenly, bright green flames erupted from the tops of the pillars, one by one.

What the hell?!

Out of the silver liquid rose a copy of me, with the same two swords that were previously cut in two by the Shifter that Egil killed.

Crap! I need to get a weapon!

The clone charged.

---

(Asuna)

Rachida walked with me as we made our way to a restaurant, constantly cracking jokes that actually succeeded in making me laugh.

"You're a pretty funny guy, you know that?" I said cheerily.

"I get that a lot back home."

I then remembered something important that I wanted to ask him. "Which reminds me… how did you fight so well with the Shifter using such an impractical style? You hold your giant two-handed sword in one hand, yet you took down that Shifter in no time at all."

"It's a secret."

---

(Kazuto)

My copy was almost as fast as me.

I kept running around, looking for something, anything that I could use to combat my doppelganger.

It looks like my only shot is that weapon in the center of the lake. But… what if the lake is too deep to walk all the way there? I'm dead if I have to swim. What if I have to beat this thing before I can get the weapon?

I evaded a slash just in time, but I got a scratch on my cheek for hesitating.

Damn it, I can't hesitate! I have to do something!

I looked over at the sword lodged in the center pedestal one last time before deciding.

I have to try!

I made a mad dash towards the center of the lake, my clone right on my tail. Just as I was about to reach the island in the center, my doppelganger jumped ahead of me to try to block me.

No you don't!

Before it landed, I ducked and somersaulted past him until I reached the sand of the island.

I got up and ran to the pedestal, immediately grabbing hold of the sword and tugging as hard as possible.

It won't budge!

Then, I got an idea.

Yeah, that could work!

I turned around, facing my copy that had just registered that I wasn't where he thought I would be. He looked at me with vacant eyes, beginning to tense up. Then, all of the sudden, he broke into a sprint.

My clone ran at me with inhuman speed, falling prey to my trap.

Just as he slashed downwards, hoping to cut me in two, I jumped out of the way. A cracking sound could be heard, and then…

The rock holding the sword shattered, sending the weapon into the air. As it came back down, I jumped and grabbed it just in time to block a slash from my copy's right sword.

The force of the block sent my clone flying back into the lake.

Whoa…

Then, my new blade began to glow. It started to change shape, the glow getting stronger by the second.

Once the glowing stopped, I saw a beautiful whitish-green sword with a gem in the center of the cross guard, which looked like two spikes opposite each other. Near the end of the sword, the blade widened slightly, coming back into a deadly point, similar to a spear.

The clone started to get up.

This is amazing, but he still has two swords! I'll need another sword!

As if hearing my plea, my new sword started to glow again. It began to emit a breeze from the gem in its cross guard, the wind flowing into my left hand and materializing into a copy of the original.

What the?!

I didn't have time to marvel at the strange occurrence, for my replica had begun to run at me.

I jumped into the air to evade him, and to my surprise, I jumped so high that I found myself standing on the ceiling.

Huh…? Well, I can use this to my advantage!

I kicked off of the ceiling just as my duplicate jumped up.

"RAAAAAAAAGH!"

I flipped in midair, shattering my doppelganger's blades with my own.

As we dropped back into the lake, my copy started to melt back into the silvery water.

So the swords were its life force, I take it?

I looked around, noting that the many torches around the room no longer burned with their eerie green flame, and the room was once again dark.

My second sword turned back into wind, merging itself with the original.

Well, whatever. All I know is that I have a new sword that can duplicate itself. Its power is amazing! Well, Egil said we had two stops to get swords for me, so I'm guessing that the next one will be at least as powerful as this one.

I found a sheath in the rubble where the sword was once kept and I slid the blade in. I put the sheath on my back, proceeding to walk to the doors.

---

(Asuna)

We found ourselves at a café, named, "Mills Family Café."

When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a small Egyptian woman who said, "What an unusual couple! Right this way!" in her native tongue.

"Ahahaha… no ma'am, we're not a couple. I'm just showing her around the city." Rachida clarified.

Thank you, Rachida…

The woman did a double take. "Wait a second… is that you, Rachida? You've grown so much since the last tournament!"

"You two know each other?" I asked with mild curiosity.

"Oh, yes! During the last tournament, he came here for every meal! He always said our food was better than anywhere else in all of Egypt!"

"I see… in that case, could I try some of the food here?"

"Of course! Let's get you seated!"

---

(Kazuto)

When I walked out of the room, I noticed Egil waiting for me by the doors.

"So, the fact that you came out alive means you got the Dark Repulser, am I right?"

"The Dark Repulser? You mean my new sword?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah. Your new sword is the legendary sword of wind. They named it the Dark Repulser long ago because its winds were said to have banished a dark force with the help of another sword."

"And that other sword is…?"

Egil looked at me with a wide smile. "You'll find out at our next stop!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" I said vigorously, starting to run ahead.

---

As we walked through the desert, I noticed that I felt no fatigue.

Why…?

As if reading my mind, Egil said, "That sword will keep you cool and refreshed with its wind magic. It doesn't work in fights, though."

"I see. That makes sense," I said sarcastically, eyes narrowing.

Why wouldn't it work in a fight? Wait a second…

"Egil… If you don't mind me asking, how do you know all of this?"

"I'm not allowed to say. Sorry about that. All I can say is that you need to watch your back. The Remotians aren't the only ones plotting to kill you."

What's that supposed to mean?

---

After another hour, we stopped at what appeared to be a giant sandcastle.

"This is our next stop! The Shadow Sand Ruins!" Egil said. "Before we go in, I want to test your strength. Prepare to fight, Asian Rep!"

That was random. Whatever… I'm never one to back down from a challenge!

We put distance between ourselves, tensing our muscles for battle.

All right… three… two… one… GO!

I charged. Egil, however, stayed in his spot. I thought nothing of it, continuing to charge at my unearthly speed.

Just before I got the first strike in, I felt something hit me hard in my abdomen. What?!

He had hit me with the flat of his axe in the stomach so fast that I couldn't even follow the movement, let alone have time to react.

How in the hell?!

"That all you got, Asian Rep? I would think that a continental Representative would be stronger than this!"

He's taunting me! What an unbelievable asshole!

I jumped back, immediately running in again.

Left, right, cleave—

Every strike I made was blocked by his giant axe. It was as if I was in slow motion.

Faster… faster! I NEED TO BE FASTER!

Once again, my body responded, taking my speed to levels never seen before… or so I thought.

Down, up, spin, double left, double diagonal up, downward V, double jab—

He didn't back down, blocking every single strike.

My left Dark Repulser got caught in Egil's axe. He used it to throw me into the air, forcing me to let go of it. It turned back into wind, merging with the original once again.

I flew backwards, landing in the sand and creating a cloud of dust.

Yes!

I used this to my advantage, charging at him through the cloud, but… once I got to him, his axe was at my neck.

"Wha…?"

"You lose. Hopefully you'll give me a better fight at the tournament, Asian Rep," Egil said as he walked ahead.

How did that happen?

"Come on, let's go," Egil said sternly, snapping me out of my daze.

"R-right."

We walked into the Shadow Sand Ruins.

---

(Egil)

As we walked through the ruins, I realized what had to be done.

This is your final test before the tournament, Kazuto Kirigaya. Now, I have to let you solve this one on your own.

When he walked through the doorway to the next room, I stayed behind, watching as it shut behind him.

---

(Kazuto)

I heard the door shut behind me.

Shit! Does that mean…?

I turned around, what I saw confirmed my suspicions.

Egil stayed behind. I was alone.

Well, I can't do anything about it now… I guess I'll just have to get the sword and find another way out.

I kept on walking, finding the place to be more and more like a maze as I went further down.

---

(Asuna)

The Egyptian woman had given us a place to stay up in the guest room of her house, which adjoined the café.

I hadn't seen Kazuto in hours, and I was beginning to get really worried.

"Hey… Rachida? Did you happen to see an Asian with two swords on your way to me?"

"No, why? Is he your boyfriend?"

I looked to the side, a pout on my face. A light blush stained my cheeks, much to my dismay. "N-no, he's the Asian Representative that I came with on the plane here! We got separated before the Shifters attacked me, and I'm really worried about him," I said with as much authority as I could muster.

"Oh, so you're worried that the Shifters attacked him as well?"

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't worry about that. He's the Asian Representative, right? That means he's better than anyone in Asia! I'm sure he's just fine."

"Fukayna, I'm home!" a deep voice said from downstairs.

"Oh, Egil! You're back! I hope this is okay, but I offered a room to Rachida and his friend until the tournament is over."

Egil? I know that name from somewhere…

"Of course it's fine, though I was planning to give that room to the Asian Rep," I heard him say as his steps came towards the stairs.

He knows Kazuto?!

Without thinking, I got up, rushed down the stairs… and marveled at the giant that I saw before me.

"Hey there, my name's Egil. I take it that you know the Asian Rep."

"Is Kazuto okay?!"

"Can't say for sure, but I'd say we'll find out by the time the tournament starts."

"What do you mean by that…?"

"Well, let's just say that if he makes it to the tournament, then he's fine, but if he doesn't, then he's probably dead."

I barely recognized the replying scream as my own voice.

"WHAT?!"

---

(Kazuto)

After an ungodly amount of walking around, I still hadn't found a thing. I really didn't know how long it had been, seeing as I couldn't see the sun from underground, so I couldn't tell how long I had been walking around aimlessly.

I had the sneaking suspicion that it had been three days or even more, but I didn't want to give up hope on getting to the tournament, which had been only five days away when I entered this death trap.

Every once in a while, I would stumble across a fountain of clear water, but I rarely took a drink. The Dark Repulser kept me feeling full and refreshed, but I could feel its magic draining from overuse.

When I reached a fountain for the seventh time since walking in, something occurred to me.

What if I've only seen one fountain, and I've kept passing it by walking around in circles?

I took a closer look at the fountain, and to my relief, it was different than the others I had seen.

Good, so I haven't been going in circles. That still doesn't solve the problem of how I'm going to get out, though.

I looked at the fountain again, noticing a carving on the side that looked strikingly like the Dark Repulser.

I walked closer, drawing said blade and holding it up to the carving, like Egil had done at the pyramid. The Dark Repulser began to glow, along with the carving.

What the hell?!

Suddenly, the entire fountain began to glow. Then, in a flash of blinding light, the fountain vanished, leaving a set of stairs leading downward in its wake.

Well, no turning back now.

I sheathed my sword and walked down the stairs.

---

(Asuna)

Four days since we had arrived in Egypt.

Kazuto still hadn't been spotted, and my worry continued mounting by the minute.

"It'll be fine, don't worry about it." Rachida soothed me.

"But it's been four days! If he hasn't died trying to get what he wanted to get, then he's probably starved to death!" I shouted.

"Actually, he has something that will keep that from happening. The only way he can die right now is through battle," Egil chimed in, walking up to us with plates of food in hand.

A look of understanding donned on Rachida's face. "You mean the Dark Repulser, right? But if you got that and you sent him somewhere else, then that means that… you sent him to the ShadowSand Ruins?! But that's where… that's where…"

"Yup! His final test on this continent is to fight Illfang of Kobold, the guardian of the legendary blade, Elucidator."

"Illfang of Kobold?" I repeated.

Egil looked on with contempt. "Yeah. Let me explain."

---

(Kazuto)

I found myself at a door similar to the one in the pyramid that held the Dark Repulser, but larger.

This doesn't bode well.

I pushed on the door to open it, and when it did, I found the room to be a giant hallway, with a throne at the end.

I walked further into the room, taking note of the pillars throughout the room. With my curiosity sated, I turned back to the throne to give it a closer look.

Wait… do I see a pair of red eyes on the throne?

The door shut behind me, the loud noise causing me to start.

The walls brightened with a rainbow of colors, making them look like stained glass.

The red eyes on the throne jumped into the air along with a giant fat body, landing in front of me.

Shit, what the hell is that?!

The crimson-skinned monster was several meters tall, with a blue diamond pattern on its fat red abdomen. Its upper body had great bulk, and its head was oddly small, with a grey helmet. Two thin ears stuck out of the helmet's sides.

It stretched out its right hand, and a giant one-handed axe materialized in midair. The beast grabbed it, then stretched out its left hand, in which a circular shield materialized. Then, a sword that I couldn't discern any details of appeared on its back.

I unsheathed the Dark Repulser, immediately making it form a second blade for my left hand.

I charged.

"KURAAAAAAGH!"

---

(Asuna)

"So let me get this straight. You led him to the den of a monster that's never been defeated before by anyone?! Are you insane?!" I screamed at Egil.

"Pretty much!"

This did not ease my worry in the slightest.

"Have faith in him," Rachida comforted me.

I started to hyperventilate.

"I'm going in after him."

Egil did a spit take on his coffee. "Don't be an idiot, Asuna. You can't get in there anyway, and even if you could, Kazuto is the only one who stands a chance against Illfang. Anyone else fighting it would just be throwing their lives away."

"Then what can I do?" I asked solemnly.

"All we can do is wait," Rachida said with a sad expression.

"But the tournament begins tomorrow!"

"Correction: it begins in seven hours. It's one in the morning right now, and the tournament begins at eight," Fukayna said as she entered the room.

The room fell silent.

---

(Kazuto)

It was all I could do to dodge its devastating attacks.

It may not have been fast, but the force when its axe hit the ground sent shockwaves everywhere, to the point where I couldn't even get close to the beast without being sent flying back.

Damn it! How am I supposed to beat this thing if I can't even get close to it?!

My thought process was broken by a downward slash from its axe, which I barely dodged. Still, the shockwaves sent me flying into a wall.

I fell to the ground, panting heavily.

"Rrgh…"

Damn… I don't stand a chance at this rate! Wait a second… the shockwaves it makes look like wind, and my sword's element is wind… maybe I can create shockwaves by slashing my sword!

I gripped my swords tighter.

"KUURAAAAAH!"

I let loose a spin attack, sending deadly shockwaves in all directions. The giant red monster tried to block with its shield, but on contact with the waves, the shield tore to pieces as if it were paper. It ran at me with its axe, but I slashed as hard as I could a second time, the shockwave sending the axe flying out of the beast's hand.

Then, the beast grabbed the sword from its back.

The flat of the blade was a strange black color that made you feel like you were getting sucked in, with silver edges on both sides. The upper part of the cross guard had the shape of a spiked arc, which held the same sharpness as the blade.

Wait… that is part of the blade.

The lower part of the cross guard was thicker, to hold the blade in place. A small silver semi-sphere resided on each side of the lower part of the cross guard, with a black X on top.

Only one word came to my mind.

Shit.

The monster ran at me with its new weapon, slashing down on me. It took all of my strength to block with both of my swords, and the force of the attack still made a crater beneath me.

Eventually, the red-skinned monstrosity backed off, as if afraid of me.

I soon found out the reason why.

My swords started to glow with a whitish-green color, the light getting brighter and brighter.

But that wasn't the true reason that it was slowly backing away.

Its sword is shrinking! Wait a second! Could that sword be…?

When its sword became too small for it to use, it dropped it and made a mad dash for its axe.

The sword is small enough for me to wield! This can't be a coincidence!

I ran over to where the red fiend dropped the sword, dematerializing my left sword and picking up the black sword.

Whoa, this thing is heavy!

I put down the black sword, put the Dark Repulser in my left hand, and picked up the black one in my right.

The weight balanced out perfectly. I felt a grin stretch across my face.

"It's on now…"

---

(Asuna)

There are only two hours until the tournament starts! Where is he?! He'd better be alive!

We had all agreed to stay up and search the town for Kazuto, just in case he lived and didn't know how to get back to Egil's restaurant.

We had just gathered back at Egil's café to see if any of us had found him. Sadly, none of us had seen him at all.

"Well, the tournament starts in two hours, and participants have to be there at least thirty minutes early, so we'd better go. It takes an hour to get there on foot anyway," Egil said solemnly.

Knowing that none of us had a car, I sighed in defeat.

Please, just be okay, Kazuto…

---

(Kazuto)

When I walked out of the ShadowSand Ruins from a door in the monster's room, I found Xerxes waiting for me.

Something tells me that this is really him.

"Xerxes? What are you doing here?"

"I've come to lead you to the tournament grounds. You would get lost, and I know a short cut," Xerxes said in his ever-impassive tone.

I sighed. "All right, but you'd better not be leading me into any traps!"

"You have my word."

---

(Asuna)

We had finally arrived at the tournament grounds. Even at seven in the morning, the area was filled with people waiting for the tournament to start, and even more continued to arrive.

The pyramid-shaped stadium towered above us with a visible flat area on the top reserved for the final round.

"Whoa, so this is where the African Bracket will take place…" I whispered in awe.

"Yup, that's right! What you won't believe is that the pyramid stadium is collapsible! It's like a giant stone-like metal tent," Rachida informed me.

"What?! Seriously? That's awesome!" I exclaimed.

I blushed and looked away from their stares. "Sorry… I may be a little over-interested in collapsible machines…"

"Which reminds me, is that how you make it so no one sees your rapier? Can it collapse into something smaller?" Rachida queried.

"Yeah, that's right!" I replied, thrilled.

"Cool!" he said. "Anyway, me and Egil gotta go and check in to the participants' quarters. Egil, let's go."

"Wait! Just… wait a little more for Kazuto," I pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but we have to—"

"Hey guys!" a familiar voice said from behind us.

I turned around, finding myself face to face with an out-of-breath Kazuto, followed by the ever-stoic Xerxes.

"Hey Asuna… Egil… and…" he said, panting between every word.

He looked at Rachida's giant form in amazement.

"Rachida."

"Hey… Rachida. Nice to meet you!"

---

(Kazuto)

"Hey… Rachida. Nice to meet you!" I said cheerily, finally recovering from the fatigue of my sprint.

Huh… I wonder why the Dark Repulser didn't keep me from feeling fatigue…. Maybe it's just because it's drained from the time I spent in the ShadowSand Ruins.

Rachida stretched out his hand. "Well, you know my name, so what's yours?"

"Kazuto Kirigaya, the Asian Representative," I said, taking his hand and giving it a shake.

When he shook back, I felt my whole arm jerk.

"Well, you may know my name, but I should tell you that I'm also the Botswana Representative!" he said as he let go of my hand.

Wait… does that mean I might have to fight this guy?!

"That's pretty cool! I look forward to seeing you fight!" I said with false cheer.

So I can figure out how to beat you.

"You too, man. I wanna see the famous Yami no Keshin's dual-wielding style!"

Just when I thought I was free of that name…

"Well, let's go check in so we can see the one we face first!" Egil said, starting to walk further ahead.

"Right!" Rachida and I shouted in unison, pumping our fists into the air.

Why do I get so enthusiastic around these guys?

Once we checked in, we went to the training room to, well, train. However, when we got there, we came across a rather… unusual sight.

"You'd better let me win!" someone yelled, making the person he yelled at run away in tears.

What the hell?

"I'm sorry, but did I just hear something that sounded like a violation of the League of Blades rulebook?" I said angrily, walking towards the teenage boy who yelled.

"And just who the hell are you?" the snotty teen asked.

"Kazuto Kirigaya, the Asian Representative," I spat back.

"Well, it looks like we'll be seeing each other very soon. We'll settle our differences in the first match."

And with that, he walked off, leaving me fuming.

"Don't let it get to you. He does that to all of the African country reps, and you get to snuff it out in the first round, apparently," Egil reassured me.

"Who is that guy, anyway?"

"That's Anpu, the Egyptian Representative. His father is the leader of one of the biggest gangs in Africa, and he's got branches of it in almost every African country. He blackmails all the contestants that he might be fighting into purposefully losing the matches. If they don't comply, his gang will kill their families," Rachida said solemnly.

"Kazuto?" Egil said, his voice quivering.

"Yeah, Egil?"

"Make sure and kick his ass as hard as you can for me!"

"Wha—"

"Egil was the only one that didn't comply with his demands in the last tournament. Egil won, but…"

"His gang killed my wife."

That's awful!

"All right then! I can't forgive him either! I'll kick his ass straight to the moon and back!" I declared, giving a thumbs up.

As I walked onto the tournament mat, I tried to control my anger, with minimal success.

This guy is going down. Hard.

I took in his weapon choice, already working out its strengths and weaknesses in my head.

Strangely, he chose to use a pair of blood-red scythes, which would hinder his movement as well as speed. However, they would be perfect for catching my Dark Repulser's tip, so I would have to be careful when I strike with it.

Three…

"I hope you like the taste of dirt, Kazuto."

Two…

"And I hope your weapon can take being hit by a shockwave."

One…

"Wait, what do you mean by th—"

GO!

I charged immediately after the signal, appearing before him in a blur and catching him off guard.

I slashed with the Dark Repulser, creating a shockwave that sent him flying straight off of the tournament mat and onto the ground.

And Anpu has fallen off of the mat! That means that he is disqualified, and Kazuto Kirigaya is the w—

"Not yet! I refuse to lose to you!" Anpu yelled, getting back up and charging at me.

"Just great… COME AT ME BRO! KURAAAAGH!"

I blocked or dodged every sloppy strike he made. He was so enraged that he couldn't even think straight, let alone land a hit on me.

"Stay still and let me hit you!" he shouted, in a rage.

"As if!"

I decided that I didn't need to play around with him anymore, and so I slashed straight through his right scythe with my black sword as if it were butter.

Heh. This sword has one hell of an ability. It can cut through anything that it comes into contact with.

"What the hell?!" Anpu screamed.

I smirked.

Left-

His left scythe was cut cleanly in two. I backed off and slashed the air with the Dark Repulser, knocking him to the edge of the mat.

"RAAAAGH!"

I ran at him, and before he even had time to get up, I had the Dark Repulser to his neck and said, "Will you admit defeat now?"

"I-I lost… twice…"

I smiled, getting up and walking to my exit as the crowd cheered my name. As I exited the inner arena, I heard the referee begin to reprimand Anpu.

Apparently they hate their own Rep. Well, he is the son of a gang lord.

---

When I got out into the lobby, I found Asuna waiting for me.

"Kazuto, that was so amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Tell me about it!" Rachida chimed in, walking up next to her. "You didn't even break a sweat!"

"Oh, so you noticed."

He donned a serious expression. "By the way, are those the swords of wind and earth?"

"What?"

Egil walked up from behind me, saying, "Remember when I told you that the Dark Repulser was the sword of wind? Well, your other new sword, the Elucidator, is the sword of earth."

"Oh, I see."

Asuna, tired of being ignored, blurted, "Egil, Rachida, don't you need to train for your matches?"

"Well, I guess so…?" Rachida said, though it sounded like a question.

"Yeah, she's right. Let's go train, Rachida," Egil said, grabbing Rachida's arm and leading him to the training rooms.

Just before he left my line of sight, I saw him give us a wink.

I slouched over in exasperation.

Just great… he thinks that we're a couple too?

I looked over at Asuna, noting the slight blush that stained her face, as well as an angry pout.

Wow, that pout looks kinda cute… wait, what the he—

"So, where do we go now?" Asuna queried, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Uh… we can go back to the café, I guess. I'm starving."

Asuna sighed in what I took to be exasperation.

"What?" I queried.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Well, whatever. Let's just go get something to—" I didn't get to finish my sentence, as the sound of an explosion coming from the inner arena nearly broke my eardrums.

"What the hell was—?!"

Yet again, I was cut off, but this time by Asuna pulling me as fast as she could towards the source of the noise.

When the hell did she become so fast?!

When we got to the stands, I noticed a girl about my age with wavy shoulder-length lavender hair, wielding a giant iron sword alit by lilac flames. She stood above a heavily-injured participant, her flaming sword just inches from his face. However, the most disturbing thing was…

Why is she smiling? Wait a second, is she going to—?!

I forsook all thought processes, running through the stands, jumping into the inner arena and running to them just in time to block a strike that would've ended the poor participant's life.

Her smile instantly turned into a scowl. "What the hell are you defending a Remotian for, you idiot?!"

"What?"

When I turned around, I noticed the man had turned into a hideous beast almost identical to the Xerxes impostor.

I gritted my teeth, readying myself for combat.

"I'm not fighting two of you! I'm out!"

And with that, the beast ran away at top speed, reaching the exit in seconds.

"Just wait! When we return, you'll all die!"

Just as I began to run after it, the lavender-haired girl put her hand on my shoulder.

"Don't. We have a tournament to finish, Kazuto-chi."

I sighed in resignation. "You're right, but… what if he comes back with reinforcements?"

"We'll deal with that when the time comes."

Wait a second… Kazuto-chi? Then this is…!

I turned around, shock overcoming my face.

"Are you… Strea?"

"You remembered me!"

She took my hand and led me out of the inner arena, into the training rooms.

"So… what are you doing at the African Bracket, Strea?" I queried, remembering how she used to be.

She used to be so frail, and now she's in the African Bracket… wielding a giant two-handed sword, no less! What happened?

"I should be asking you the same thing, Kazuto-chi!" Strea countered.

"Well, I decided to stop messing around with sword fighting and get serious… and it landed me in the Asian Bracket. Then, well… I'm guessing that you already figured out how that went," I said, rubbing my neck in embarrassment.

I remembered what I was thinking a few seconds prior. "Wait, why are you in the African Bracket? You were weak and frail when I last saw you! Did something happen when you were in… Australia…? Wait, don't tell me…"

"Yup! I'm the Australian Rep now! If you win your match in the next round, then we'll fight each other in the semi-finals!" Strea said cheerily. "Oh, and about the weak and frail thing… when I found this sword, it healed my condition!" she finished, holding out her once-flaming sword.

And that makes perfect sense. I fought the urge to facepalm.

"Which reminds me, wasn't that sword on fire just a few minutes ago?" I queried incredulously.

"You have two legendary swords, don't you? I see the swords of wind and earth on your back. You should've been able to tell that this sword is on their level because it was on fire," Strea replied.

"I guess so… wait, what element is it? It was on fire, but the flames were purple. Is it of fire or darkness?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well, it's actually a combination of fire and darkness. That said, its powers are strong when the elements are fused, but considerably weaker when used separately. It's not actually one of the original legendary blades, but it was created hundreds of years ago to try to emulate their power. The original legendary blades were all one-handed weapons, and they each had control of only one element," Strea explained.

"Wait, how do you know all of this?"

"Well, I know most of it from my dad, who took me to Australia to look for one of the legendary blades."

I looked to the ground, falling deep in thought.

Well, her dad is an archaeologist but how would he have gotten info on those things? Maybe he's traveling with Strea. If he is, he might be able to tell me more about my new swords.

"Hey, is your dad traveling with you by any chance?"

"No, sorry. He's back in Australia, looking for one of the legendary swords," she said dejectedly.

"It's okay, you don't have to get sad about it. If you don't mind my asking, which sword is he looking for?"

"The sword of fire."

I see…

"Well anyway, I presume that that was your match?" I said.

"Yup! Hey, wanna go sightseeing with me? It's been forever since we've seen each other, and there are some places I really want to go!" she said, sounding a little overenthusiastic.

Yet again, I fought the urge to facepalm.

Always thinking about what she wants to do. Then again, she probably has a hidden motive, judging by the way she said it… I might as well go, seeing as we do have some catching up to do, and I do have a few questions for her.

"Sure."

When we walked back into the lobby, I found an angry Asuna waiting for me.

Once she spotted me, she immediately ran over to me, yelling, "Where the hell is your common sense?! Why would you do that?! You could've gotten yourself killed!"

She then looked over to Strea, who stood beside me with a smile on her face.

"W-why is she here?"

"Oh, this is Strea, my childhood friend. She also happens to be the Australian Representative," I replied.

"She nearly killed a man, Kazuto! Sure, he turned out to be a Shifter, but…"

"Actually, I knew that he was what you call a Shifter the whole time. Their race is technically known as Remotian, by the way."

"Well anyway, Strea and I are going sightseeing, so if you don't mind, could you just wait for us at Egil's café? We might be a while."

"Fine, whatever…" Asuna said blankly, walking away.

She sounded pissed.

I looked to Strea. "Well, shall we go now?"

---

The streets of the tournament grounds were filled with merchants selling souvenirs from places all over Africa.

As we walked through the streets, I turned to Strea, determined to figure out her real reason for bringing me sightseeing.

"So… what's your real motive for bringing me out of the arena? I know it's not just to go sightseeing," I said in a low tone, my eyes narrowing.

"Sharp as ever… lean in so I can whisper it in your ear."

I leaned towards her, waiting.

"We're going to find that Remotian's base. I placed a tracing spark in him just before you came to block me, so we're going to use my sword as a homing device to find its base."

"So you never meant to kill it?" I queried.

"Yeah, it'd be a lot more efficient to use it to locate the enemy base and kill everyone there than it would be to just kill it by itself back there in the arena."

"I see," I replied. "Wait, how would you have been able to wipe out their entire base by yourself? I know you must be really strong now, but most of the Representatives wouldn't stand a chance against even one of them. There's no way you could do it."

"Well, you're probably right. The thing is, I have you with me now, and you have two legit legendary swords."

"And so I get sucked into another one of your crazy plans…"

"Just like the old days, right, Kazuto-chi?"

"Yeah, just like the old days, Strea-baka."

---

After another hour of walking through dark alleys, we finally arrived in a spot that held promise.

In the middle of the dark alley we were standing in, a giant black spiral pattern with strange symbols on its outer ring just floated in the air.

A… portal…? What is it doing here?

Strea immediately ran towards it, forcing me to run after her.

Wait, that pattern is… NO!

"STREA! STOP!"

Too late.

She disappeared into the portal, leaving me alone in the alley.

"No… NO!"

I ran in after her.

The alleyway had instantly changed into a pitch black area with no walls, no sky, and no ground.

Wait… no ground?!

And then I was freefalling through what seemed to be a bottomless pit, seeing nothing but black. When I tried to scream, no sound came out.

Then, I saw a different sky all around me, with violet clouds and blue lightning. When I looked down, I saw a ravaged land. Any trace of a building had been eradicated, every tree in sight had no leaves, as if they had all died and been petrified. All of the rivers flowed with lava…

This… is Hell. Somehow… I just know it.

I continued to fall, but I couldn't have cared less. All I cared about was finding Strea somewhere on the ground.

As the ground grew closer, I noticed countless species of reptilian demons.

What the?! I really am in Hell!

I could see the ground getting closer and closer. I started to count down to when I would land and die.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six—"

Please be okay, Strea…

I resumed the count, but just as I hit one…

"AAAAAH! STREA!" I screamed, my eyes snapping open in fear.

Was it just… a dream?

I got up and looked around, finding myself in an alleyway.

No… it couldn't have been real… wait! Where's the portal?

I looked over to where I had first seen the portal, finding nothing there.

It's not there?! It disappeared! Then… how do I get to Strea?!

"STREA!"

I ran as fast as I could in the direction the portal was, finding nothing but a dead end. When I turned around, I saw another Shifter, a sadistic smirk on its hideous face.

"You… you deactivated the portal… didn't you?" I said darkly, drawing my swords.

"C-come on, it was just a joke! Your friend is fine!"

"I won't believe any of the crap you Shifters give me! I'll kill you!"

I ran at him faster than I had ever run before, appearing in front of him in a blur and slashing him to pieces in an instant.

I walked past him.

That confirms it… Strea is stuck in Hell.

The walk back to Egil's café was a long one—not so much because of the distance, but more because of my slow pace.

It's my fault… I should've tried harder to stop her.

When I finally did arrive at the café, I found several people waiting with worried looks on their faces. Asuna looked nearly sick with worry.

"Baka! It's midnight! We were all worried!"

Making no affirmation that I heard her, I weakly uttered, "Hey guys…"

Why did my voice crack?

For the first time since I had begun the trek back to the café, I noticed how blurry my vision was. I brought my hand up to my eyes.

"I'm… crying?"

"Kazuto! Are you okay?"

I didn't respond, instead choosing to go right past her and up the stairs, towards the guest room.

As soon as I entered the room, I ran and flung myself onto the bed, letting my tears fall freely.

No… crying won't get her back! I won't give up on her! I'll win this tournament and find a way to get her back!

I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up three hours later, I decided to go outside and take a walk. Of course, I didn't forget my swords. The city is filled with Shifters.

I can't believe I slept for three hours… I thought for sure that I wouldn't sleep that long, with all the things on my mind…

Which brought me back to thinking about Strea.

Why didn't I try harder to stop her?

I shook my head vigorously, trying to get rid of my angst-y thoughts.

No, no, NO! Mourning over her won't get her back! I just have to figure out a way to get her out of there! The question is whom to ask for advice… not Asuna, I have a feeling she's jealous of Strea already… not Rachida, he wouldn't know anything about it… maybe Egil? Maybe, but he just loves to be mysterious, so even if he did know about it, he probably wouldn't tell me.

"I didn't expect for you to be out for a walk at 3:30 in the morning. What troubles you, Kazuto Kirigaya?" asked a man from behind me.

I turned around, finding myself face to face with Xerxes.

"Xerxes? What're you doing out this late— err, early?" I queried.

Somehow, I can tell that this is the real Xerxes.

"I should be asking you the same question."

"Don't answer my question with a question," I said, growing irritated.

"Don't get agitated. I was only going for a walk, same as you."

"I see…" I replied. "Hey Xerxes… do you know of any way to get to Hell? One of my friends got stuck there without dying, and… I want to get her back."

"I do, but… you need to win the tournament first."

"What?! Why?!"

"I'll explain. The prize for the tournament this year is a very special item that allows for dimensional travel. Very few people know about this. Once you win the tournament, I'll tell you how to use it."

"You act as if you know I'll win."

"You can, and you will. There is only one person whom I believe has a chance at beating you," Xerxes said, his tone getting darker as he spoke.

"Who is that?"

"Heathcliff, the Representative for England of the United Kingdom. He was the winner of the last world tournament, and he beat a three-time champion to attain that title."

I took a moment to think. "I heard about him. People say that he just sprang to fame overnight, that he just suddenly appeared and started winning tournaments."

"That's correct. No one knows anything about his background other than he supposedly has a beautiful and powerful daughter that travels a lot."

Before I knew it, we had walked to the pyramid arena. No one was walking around the streets, and silence filled the air.

"Wow. I didn't even know that we had walked here," I said, breaking the silence. "Hey Xerxes, want to go train?"

"Very well."

The only person at the arena other than us was just the person we needed to see: the training room guard.

Once we checked in and were on the way to the training rooms, I thought about something.

Wait… the guard acted as if he had never seen what happened yesterday.

"Hey Xerxes… did you hear the explosion that happened in the arena yesterday?"

"Yes. It was a Shifter, correct?"

"Then… why does everyone act like it never happened?"

Silence.

"You know, it's okay if you don't want to answer, I was just—"

"No, I'll tell you. Normal humans… their minds can't handle the presence of the Shifters. They can't comprehend them, so their minds develop a scenario that fits the situation without alluding to the Shifter's presence. Their minds then accept that scenario as reality."

Wow… that's really weird…

"Well, let's go train."

Five minutes later, we were in the middle of a battle, neither side giving way to the other.

Left, diagonal up, down, up, cleave, spin, jab, parry—

"You've improved!" Xerxes yelled over the sound of my blades clashing against his shield.

Sidestep, down, up, up, parry, diagonal spin—

"So have you!" I yelled as we hit a deadlock.

Wait a second, why isn't the Elucidator cutting through his shield and sword?

As if reading my mind, Xerxes said, "The weapons I currently have are enchanted with an ability called Ultimate Defense, which makes them unbreakable. Your Elucidator has the Ultimate Offense, which allows it to cut through anything without the Ultimate Defense or Ultimate Offense abilities."

"I see!"

I then remembered something very important.

Crap! If anyone is awake back at the café, then they'll start looking for me! I have to go back!

I jumped back from the deadlock. "Xerxes, I have to go back. They don't know I left, so if one of them wakes up, they'll probably start looking for me."

Xerxes sheathed his sword behind his back, saying, "I'll accompany you, then. I have reason to speak with Egil."

"Okay."

While we walked to Egil's café, I immersed myself deep in thought.

Why would Xerxes want to meet up with Egil? Well, Xerxes did answer a few of my questions, so maybe I could ask him a few more.

"Hey, Xerxes?"

"Yes, Kazuto?"

"Why do you need to speak to Egil?" I queried, hoping to get a straight answer.

"Let's just call it… a meeting of the minds. Something is happening. Something bad."

He began to walk ahead, forcing me to walk faster to keep up.

Well, that failed.

Once we reached the café, Xerxes turned to me and said, "You should go get some sleep. It's four in the morning right now, and another two hours of sleep would be good for you."

"All right. Good night, Xerxes."

I walked up to the guest room and collapsed on the bed, immediately falling into another dreamless sleep.

---

(Xerxes)

As I walked in the café, I noticed Egil sitting in a chair behind the bar table. He looked at me with a dark look, saying, "Xerxes."

"Egil."

"If you've come here, it can only mean one thing."

I sat down, watching as he poured me a beer.

"Yes. After sixteen years, he is finally awakening."

---

(Kazuto)

I awoke to the sound of an alarm that I didn't set.

I turned and looked at the clock at my nightstand, which somehow wasn't the source of the noise.

Six o'clock…? Who the hell gets up at—

"That's right, the tournament!" I heard someone shout.

The noise stopped.

"Huh?"

I turned around to find Rachida rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Sorry, did my alarm wake you up?"

"That was your alarm?" I asked, irritated.

"Ehehe… sorry. But hey, it's almost time to leave for the second round! Aren't you glad it woke you up?" Rachida said lightly.

"Nope, not in the slightest," I replied, laying back down.

Wait a second… THE TOURNAMENT!

"That's right! Round two of the tournament starts in two hours!" I shouted.

"That's basically what I just said, man."

"Shut up, I'm sleepy," Asuna mumbled from a semi-conscious state.

"Well, it looks like everyone is awake! Let's get ready and head out!" a deep voice said from the doorway.

I looked towards the source, finding the one and only dark-skinned giant axe-wielder and African Representative, Egil.

"Hey," I grumbled.

"That's no attitude to be taking with me, Kazuto!" Egil declared. When he saw my startled look, he quickly added, "Hahaha, I'm just joking!"

I sighed in relief. My earlier loss against him had not been forgotten, and so I still found myself slightly intimidated by him.

I got up, saying, "I get the bathroom first."

Once I entered the bathroom, I immediately got in the shower.

Soon, I had fallen deep in thought.

No one needs to know what happened to Strea. I don't want them helping me. It's something I must bear alone.

I began to think about the tournament.

I never got a look at the tournament match bracket. I'll have to look at that when I get there. But… what if I have to fight Egil this round? I'm not sure I'm ready, considering I can't use that…

"Hey, you about done in there? Asuna is going crazy waiting to put her makeup on!" Rachida yelled from the other side of the door.

"Tell her to hold on, and that I'll be right out!"

I began washing as fast as I could, hoping to avoid her anger.

Just you wait, Strea, Sachi. I'll save you for sure.

As soon as I opened the bathroom door, Asuna came rushing past me and into the bathroom, pushing me out and shutting the door behind her.

I have a feeling she needed to do more than just put on makeup!

---

Thirty minutes later, we were all about to head out to the pyramid arena, when I saw Xerxes behind a tree in the distance, hiding in the shadows.

He gestured for me to come over to him.

I can't tell if this Xerxes is the real deal from this distance, I need to get a closer look.

"Guys, I'm going ahead!" I shouted, beginning to do just that.

Once I got to him, I slowed down to a walk, with him falling into step behind me.

This vibe… I think he's a Shifter. I might as well play along, though.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about, Xerxes?" I asked with feigned ignorance.

"We'll talk somewhere more secluded."

"Screw that! I'm not falling for the same trick twice!"

"But you were the one that said it last time— oh, shit."

"Gotcha! Now, I'll let you off without killing you if you leave now. Oh, and that goes for all of you." I said, gesturing to all of the Shifters that I had just detected.

"You're a cocky little bastard, aren't you?" the Xerxes impostor said as he transformed, his voice growing deeper and more raspy.

The rest of the Shifters emerged from their hiding places, already fully transformed. Soon enough, I was surrounded by seven of the beasts.

I drew my swords, already feeling the vengeful bloodlust building up inside me.

These guys… their stupid portal took Strea! I'll destroy all of them here RIGHT NOW!

I sent a shockwave towards three of them, knocking them into the trees. Three more came from my right, but I was ready.

Let's test this out, shall we?

"Earthen Spikes!"

I jammed the Elucidator into the ground, creating a tremor that sent the three Shifters flying into the air. Then, spikes made of black metal shot out of the ground under them, impaling them in their hearts. The spikes branched off, impaling them in other vital areas, as well as piercing the three in the trees.

When I retracted the Elucidator from the earth, the spikes fell back into the earth, along with the bodies.

The one Shifter left just so happened to be the second Xerxes impostor, and he had apparently not been affected by the tremor at all.

"Is that it, kid?" it replied, charging at me.

I smirked.

"Shadow Step."

"What the f—" he started, coming to a halt.

The area around us instantly became covered in a dense, black fog that only I could see through, because of the magic of the Dark Repulser. In an instant, I had moved in front of him, slashing him endlessly until he was nothing more than diced meat.

I walked towards the stadium, sheathing my swords.

Too easy.

---

Somehow, despite the holdup, I still made it to the stadium before everyone else, getting there right at 7:30.

Behind me, I heard the voices of my friends calling to me. I turned around to find them running to catch up.

"How… how… how did you get here so fast? You're like lightning!" Rachida panted, falling into step beside me.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing."

"No, I'm serious. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, look! There's the arena! Let's go check the bracket setup!"

I sighed. I guess I'll let it go for now.

Several minutes later, we had all gathered at the area where the bracket setup was being shown.

Thank god none of them asked about Strea on the way here. I'm not sure I can handle it yet.

When I saw whom I had to face, my blood ran cold. I have to face… Rachida? But he's huge! And his sword is almost as big as he is!

"Yo! Looks like we're going to be facing each other this round! Cool!" Rachida said happily.

I have a feeling that this'll be a long match…

Egil chose this time to speak up, saying, "Whoa, look at the time! We have to check in at the participants' area!"

"Right!" Rachida and I shouted.

Thirty minutes later, we were ready to go. Rachida and I had made it a point not to spar against each other, just so the real fight would be more of a challenge. That didn't mean we didn't watch each other spar with the other participants (or, in my case, a training robot).

I heard an announcement blare from the speaker in the training room, telling me and Rachida to go to the tournament mat.

Well… this is it.

"Ready?" I asked Rachida.

"Always," he responded, holding his fist out, which I met with my own.

When we parted ways to head to the opposite sides of the arena, I began to contemplate how I would beat him.

His weapon is a giant sword like Strea's, but he holds it in one hand. That would usually make for a really awkward style that could easily be beaten, but the fact that he's a Representative says otherwise. The problem I've seen while watching him fight is that he changes his style for every person he fights. I've noticed six distinct styles that he uses, but he modifies each one to fit whom he's fighting. Aaagh! This is so hard!

By that point in my plotting, I had already reached the entrance to the inner arena, where the fighting would take place.

Looks like I'll just have to trust my instincts.

I walked onto the mat, eyeing Rachida closely. I noticed something different in his eyes, something… dark. It was as if he had became a completely different person on the inside, very different from when I watched him spar with the other participants.

This is not gonna be easy. Then again, that's one of the reasons I entered this tournament.

"No hard feelings, Kazuto, but you're going down."

"I hope you can forgive me when you get annihilated."

Three…

We locked eyes, taking in the passion that dwelled under their surfaces.

Two…

We put some distance between each other, tensing our muscles for combat. Never once did our eyes falter.

One…

We got into sprinting positions, readying ourselves to run at top speed.

GO!

We charged, getting to each other in a fraction of a second and clashing without end.

Left, up, up, block, dodge, diagonal down, diagonal spin, upward X—

Every attack that went his way got blocked, and vice versa.

He swung his sword down over my head, forcing me to block with both of my swords in a cross.

"You're… pretty good!" Rachida strained out.

"… Likewise!"

I diverted his sword to the ground, making a crater that knocked both of us off balance.

What a powerful sword! It could even stand up to the Elucidator's Ultimate Offense!

I recovered first, jumping back and charging in again. He dislodged his sword from the ground just in time to block my Elucidator, but my Dark Repulser made a tiny scratch on his arm.

He faltered, if only for a split second.

I can break through!

I began a full-scale assault, each strike getting faster and stronger than the last.

Left, left, sidestep, double diagonal down, parry, double up—

I sent him flying into the air, following up with a shockwave slash from the Dark Repulser to knock him even higher.

Remembering my fight with my clone, I jumped into the air, and in seconds I was right in front of him.

Flip spin—

I sent him careening to the ground. When he landed, a tremor shook the earth. I sent a shockwave slash from my Dark Repulser down on him, and when he tried to block it, he was forced to his knees as a crater formed underneath him, catching him off balance.

I landed gracefully behind him.

"Is that all you've got?!" we shouted at each other in unison.

We turned around, locking eyes once more. In our eyes, we saw exactly what we wanted to see.

Not even close.

We charged at each other again, blades meeting in an endless struggle of need—the need to win, to advance, to prove ourselves, and so much more.

Spin, left, left, jab, upward flip spin—

My flip spin sent him reeling backwards. I jumped back, tensing to charge back in.

Faster! Stronger! Better! I can still get better!

I began to charge at him once again, and as if on cue, my body and swords responded, taking my speed to new heights, even by my own standards.

Left, left, diagonal spin, parry, double down, upward X, double down, block—

He made another overhead swing, and I redirected it to the ground. Just before a crater formed, I jumped back and out of the way.

With his sword still lodged in the ground, I ran at him, trying to get to him before he could get his sword dislodged from the ground.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side. Just as my sword got within centimeters of his neck, his giant sword appeared to block it and send me flying back.

"Don't think I'm finished yet!" Rachida shouted angrily.

It's like he's a completely different person!

"All right then! Let's push it to the limit! RAAAAAAGH!"

I ran at him at top speed, appearing before him in a blur and batting his sword to the side. I slid under him and made a slash upward, only for it to be dodged.

Damn, he recovered that fast? Wait, where did he go?!

I looked around, finding nothing but the battered ground, as most of the mat had been completely decimated.

Then, I realized something obvious. If he's not around me, then he must be… above me?!

I looked up, and sure enough, I saw him freefalling towards me with his sword pointed downward.

Shit!

I moved out of the way just in time to avoid getting impaled.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" I shouted.

He didn't respond, instead choosing to charge at me with his sword raised high above his head.

All right, THAT'S ENOUGH!

Without thinking, I charged at him faster than ever before. My swords began to glow, the Dark Repulser white, and the Elucidator black.

"KURAAAAAH!"

He brought his sword down.

I swung mine up.

The sound of cracking metal could be heard throughout the arena.

I broke his sword.

And with that, the fire disappeared from his eyes, and the glow of my swords faded.

Because Rachida's weapon has been broken, he is disqualified! Kazuto Kirigaya, the Asian Representative, is the winner!

The crowd cheered furiously, but none so louder than Asuna, who sat in the front row VIP seating.

"That… was one hell of a battle, eh, Kazuto?" Rachida said in between panting, finishing off with a laugh.

"B-but I broke your sword! Shouldn't you be a little more mad at me?"

"Nah, it's cool. I have more of those at home. Plus, I got to see an amazing sight today!"

"What's that?"

"It's a secret."

"Oh, come on!"

"Nope, not telling!" Rachida teased.

"God, you're just like a kid!"

"Says the one who was pestering me to tell you!"

"Touché."

"Well, I'd better get packing. See ya later, Kazuto!" Rachida said, beginning to head towards Egil's café.

"Wait!"

"What is it?"

"Thanks. That was a great battle."

"Haha, no problem! Well, I'd best be off!" Rachida replied.

He walked out of the inner arena.

Somehow… I feel like I'll see him again someday, after the tournament.

I walked out of the other side, finally realizing who would stand before me in the end.

Egil was at the other end of the bracket, which means I have to fight him in the final round!

The best word to describe me? Scared.

Well, I'll have to beat the other semi-finalist before I have to worry about that, so… let's focus on one thing at a time.

---

(Rachida)

As I walked into the lobby, I met up with Egil, just as planned.

"You saw it, didn't you?" I asked him.

"Yeah. Let's go back to the training rooms to talk."

"Right."

The walk to the training rooms was a silent one.

I can't believe that kid is… no, I can't be sure yet.

Once we arrived at the training rooms, Egil said, "Well, it's been a long time since we've been alone together like this, hasn't it?"

"Yes, too long. But that isn't the point. You said you saw it, the way his swords glowed black and white. That can only mean one thing."

"Yes. The Seed of Chaos is awakening, and with that, so will he."

I faltered. When I recovered, I said, "So what will we do?"

"It isn't our fight anymore, you know that. It's up to the next generation."

"I guess so… hey Egil?"

"Yes?"

I voiced my concern. "They'll succeed, won't they? We barely succeeded last time, and they're a bunch of kids.,"

"That… is up to them."

---

(Kazuto)

When I got to the lobby, I found Asuna waiting for me, but… no Egil.

"Hey, where's Egil?" I asked.

"Dunno, I lost him on the way here," Asuna said in exasperation.

"I'm sure that Egil is just training for the next match. Let's go back to the café and get something to eat, I'm starving!"

"Okay."

---

The walk back to the café was filled with silence.

Growing tired of this, I decided to break it. "So… I heard you're good with a rapier."

"Yeah…"

"Well… wanna spar?"

She turned to look at me with an incredulous expression.

"No way! You're a continental Representative!"

"Yet I lost to the first Shifter I faced, where you apparently won."

Silence.

By the time I thought of something to say, we had already reached the café.

"Hey look, there's Egil's café!"

I sighed in resignation.

When we walked in the door, we were greeted with the sight of Fukayna, but… no Rachida.

"I could have sworn I heard him say he was coming here to pack…" I mumbled.

"What was that?" Asuna queried.

"I-it's nothing."

Weird… well, I'm really tired, so I think I'll take a… little… nap…

And with that, I fell to the floor, unconscious.

---

I looked from the distance at an eight-year-old Strea, smiling at a nine-year-old me.

The child version of me was crying profusely, as if the world was about to end.

"I'm sorry, Kazuto-chi, but I have to leave. My dad is taking me to Australia. He said he had found a way to help treat my condition that could only be done over there. I promise to send lots and lots of postcards!" the eight-year-old Strea said cheerily.

"B-but… I love you…"

"I know."

And with that, the young Strea walked away.

---

I sat up straight in bed, gasping for air.

"What… the hell?"

I…I had loved her… I almost forgot. I wonder if she ever loved me back… well, I'll just have to ask her when I get her back.

Then, I finally noticed the place I had fallen asleep versus the place I had awakened in.

Why am I in a bed? I fell asleep on the floor… well, maybe Asuna carried me. No, she probably doesn't have the physical body strength to do that.

"It's about time you woke up."

That voice…

"Xerxes, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just came to talk with Egil, and I found you passed out on the floor with a frantic Asuna beside you, so I decided to carry you to the guest room," Xerxes said nonchalantly.

"Eh… sorry about that."

"It's quite all right. In fact, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Xerxes said, his tone suddenly changing from impassive to dark and foreboding.

"What is it?" I asked, trying, and failing, not to sound disconcerted.

"You shouldn't go outside this house unless you're going to the tournament. When you do, do not take any detours, no matter what they try to deceive you with. If you do, they will swarm and kill you. This café is protected by a special barrier that was set up long ago. No Shifter can get anywhere near this place without being eradicated by the barrier."

That explains why the second Xerxes impostor was so far away from the café when I saw him.

"They may transform into a loved one. You have to be sure not to fall for their tricks, especially if they Shift into the girl that got stuck in Hell. There is no way out without utilizing dimensional travel."

So even if I see Strea, I have to ignore it… knowing that it isn't really her. If I didn't have better judgment, I would go to the impostor just to kill it for impersonating my friend. But… he said they would swarm, which means that they're growing in numbers.

"Got it."

"All right, I must be going. Where I'm going, you may not see me for years. Goodbye, child."

"Goodbye, Xerxes."

As I watched him leave, I contemplated his final words.

I may not see him for years… I wonder where he's going…

A drowsiness overtook me, and soon I fell into a deep sleep filled with visions of my childhood with Strea and Sachi.

---

When I woke up, I saw Asuna's face right above me, eyes closed.

I blinked.

"What are you doing?" I asked, yawning afterwards.

She immediately jumped back and landed on the ground with a thud. "N-nothing!"

Whatever.

I got up slowly, looking around.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Oh, it's almost time to go. I was trying to wake you up, but I got… distracted…" Asuna trailed off, blushing.

Please tell me this doesn't mean what I think it means…

"I see. I'm gonna take a shower."

---

Once I finished my shower, got dressed, and walked downstairs to the café level, I saw Egil finishing up breakfast.

"It's about time Asuna got you up!" Egil said, finishing up with his trademark hearty laugh.

I lazed over to the table, grabbing a slice of toast and taking a bite.

"Yeah, whatever. She said she got 'distracted,' whatever that means."

Asuna walked down the stairs, coming to sit next to me.

"Well, we'd best get going. It's you and me in the finals, Asian Rep."

I nodded glumly. "Yeah."

"Have some faith in yourself! You've got to give it your all if you want to succeed in your dreams!" Egil scolded.

"Yeah… yeah, you're right. Nothing personal, but I'm gonna take you down, Egil."

"That's the spirit!"

---

An hour later, we arrived at the tournament grounds.

"This is it," I said apprehensively.

"That's right, Kazuto. Let's give it our all!"

He didn't call me Asian Rep. That's gotta mean something.

"Right!"

As I walked up to the tournament mat, I noticed Egil already standing there, looking confident as ever.

"Whatever happens here, you'll always be my friend. All right, Egil?"

"And whatever happens, you'll always be one of the strongest opponents I've ever faced! Now, let's give these onlookers one hell of a match!"

The announcer started to speak, telling the audience the obvious fact that two continental Representatives were about to fight. Then, he started to count down.

Three…

We settled into our styles, both tensing our muscles to charge.

Two…

We locked eyes, telling each other through eye contact just what we needed to say.

I'm taking you down.

One…

We got into a sprinting position, itching to charge as soon as we heard the word…

GO!

We charged simultaneously, weapons hitting each other in a fraction of a second.

"RAAAAAGH!" CLASH!

Moving faster than the eye could see, we fought on, sparks and dust flying everywhere.

Left, right, jab—

Yet again, one of my swords got caught in Egil's axe.

Like hell I'm letting this happen again!

When he tried to throw me up into the air, I held onto my Dark Repulser and stuck to his axe. When he stopped trying, I dislodged my sword from his axe and jumped back, sending shockwaves at him from afar. All they managed to do was send him back a few inches, and so I charged back in.

Double down—

I hit his axe hard enough to propel me into the air, striking down on his back in the process of flying.

Blocked.

Twisting in midair and landing facing his back, I charged back in. He turned around just in time to block another flurry of strikes.

Right, right, dodge, parry, jab—

He swung his axe down over my head, and I blocked it by putting my swords in an X. I redirected his axe into the ground, and it made an even bigger tremor than Rachida's broadsword.

I jumped back, afraid of his raw power.

Faster! Stronger!

I ran into the action again, the world around me becoming a blur. All I could see were our bodies, his axe, and my blades.

Diagonal down, diagonal down, jumping slash, down, down, double right, diagonal down, diagonal spin, double left—

He started to falter, unable to keep pace with my blows.

Diagonal up, diagonal up, jump slash, diagonal down, diagonal spin, downward V, upward X—

There it was. The opening I had been waiting for. His axe batted aside, and his chest wide open.

I jabbed with the Dark Repulser, and with lightning speed, his axe appeared to block it.

I jumped back, catching my breath.

"Your defensive speed is incredible," I panted.

"And your offensive speed is just as good," he panted back. "But I'm still holding back a bit."

I smirked. "Huh, you too?"

"You see, I have a little something called the Strength OverLimit. Until now, I've only been using it when I absolutely need to, because of its price. But now… I'm going all out!"

He appeared before me in a blur, his muscles twice the size they were a few seconds prior. He hit me in the stomach with the flat of his axe, sending me flying to the edge of the mat.

Damn, that hurt!

He charged again, but this time I was prepared. Just before he hit me again, I jumped out of the way, and he flew off of the mat.

Well, that was anticlimactic.

It was then that I noticed that he hadn't hit the ground. Instead, he stood atop his axe, which was lodged into the wall of the inner arena.

So it's not over? But how will he get his axe out of the wall without touching the ground?

He pushed himself off the wall with his feet, holding onto the axe with his hands and dislodging it. He sailed through the air, landing on the tournament mat once more.

Question answered.

Now that he was on the offensive, it took everything I had to block.

Damn it, if I don't go faster, I'll be annihilated!

I dodged an overhead strike by ducking and running under his legs, putting as much distance between us as possible so I could switch back to the offensive.

"You're quick for your size!" I praised.

"Well, thanks!"

Just like that, I switched to the offense again, appearing before him in a fraction of a second and catching him off guard… or so I thought.

Left, right, right, spin—

All blocked in showers of sparks.

Faster… stronger! BETTER! I won't give in yet! I can still get better!

I jumped back for a split second to catch my breath, then charging back in immediately.

"KURAAAGH!"

Left, right, right, vertical spin, overhead jump slash—

Egil was wearing down, I could tell.

That must be the price of his Strength OverLimit! It must drain his stamina!

I kept on slashing, increasing in speed with each and every strike I made.

Left, up, down, down, diagonal spin, left, left, thrust, uppercut—

Yet again, his axe went flying upwards. I took the chance to jab with the Elucidator, and when he tried to bring his axe down to block, I caught it with the Dark Repulser. The jab connected with his cheek, and then I held my sword to his neck.

We stood there, and everything was silent.

"And Kazuto Kirigaya is the winner!"

The crowd cheered with such ferocity that it made my ears ache.

"Do they hate you or something?" I asked, pointing to the boisterous crowd.

"No, it's just that they're glad that I lost for once. Before this, I won the African Bracket three times in a row."

"So… I just beat a three-time champion?"

"Pretty much!"

We walked out of the inner arena side by side, me listening with genuine interest to him tell me about the final rounds of his last three African Brackets.

---

Once we got to the lobby, I saw Asuna run up to us.

"That was an amazing battle!" she exclaimed.

I rubbed my neck in embarrassment. "It wasn't that awesome…"

"Like hell!" Egil shouted, earning the attention of everyone in the lobby. "You're one of the strongest opponents I've ever faced!"

One of them, eh?

"Out of curiosity, who was the strongest?" Asuna voiced my next question.

"… Heathcliff. He beat me in under a minute."

I gaped. "Y… you mean to tell me that you made it all the way to the European Bracket?!"

"Yeah, but only one time. That was the last world tournament."

I see…

"Well, you have to pack up! Tomorrow, you leave for São Paulo, Brazil!" Egil declared with a smile.

---

The next morning, we arrived at the airport with all of our things.

I turned to look at Egil from the ramp leading to the plane entrance.

Looks like this is it for Africa… I'm kinda sad. I had so many adventures here!

Noticing my stare, he shouted, "You win this tournament for me, you hear?"

Feeling cheered, I replied, "You don't have to tell me twice!"

I gave him a thumbs up and entered the plane, where Asuna stood waiting.

"Hey, shouldn't Xerxes be coming with us too? I mean, he followed us on the last flight."

I looked at her glumly, saying, "He said that he was going somewhere, and that I might not see him for years."

"… I see."

"Well, let's get to our first class seats!" I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah!"

An hour later, we were in in the air, Asuna fast asleep.

Next up, I'm going to South America! Ready or not, here I come!

---

A/N:

Well, that took FOREVER to write! Without this authors' note, this chapter is almost sixteen thousand words long!

Anyway, look at all the stuff happening! Kazuto got his signature swords, killed a rip-off of Illfang the Kobold Lord, and so much more!

On the subject of Illfang, some of you may be P.O.'d at me for not including the last part of the fight, but… I needed to conserve word count so this chapter didn't get too long (if it isn't already). Seriously, I have the most up-to-date Microsoft Word, and it still takes several seconds for it to save!

Anyway, before I start rambling, I need to cut this off. Here's everyone's second least favorite line: the disclaimer:

I don't own Sword Art Online or any of the characters/weapons I borrow from it!

See ya!